


Never Better

by Tarlan



Category: Jurassic Park (Movies), Jurassic Park III (2001)
Genre: Character Study, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-11
Updated: 2008-01-11
Packaged: 2017-10-12 23:33:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/130363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nearly losing Billy forces Alan to admit how much he loves the younger man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Better

From his seat on the helicopter he could barely see Billy but just knowing he was there, that he was alive, was almost intoxicating. He wasn't usually a man prone to showing strong emotions but something about Jurassic Park had brought out the best and the worst in him and, at this moment, all his emotions were choked with a need to do more than simply grin embarrassingly at Erik. He wanted to gather Billy up in his arms, wanted to shout his joy to the world now that he'd been given a second chance. He tightened his grip on his hat before straightening it and putting it back on, refocusing on the here and now, and on the helicopter speeding them to safety. Later, there would be time to tell Billy he was sorry, that he should have never said those words to him, should never have hurt him and pushed him aside in anger. He should never have let those words stay between them, not there, not on that island filled with monsters, not when there had been no guarantee that any of them would get off Isla Sorna alive.

Erik brought him back out of his reverie with another exclamation but, this time, they were approaching a ship. A soldier hurried them off the helicopter almost the moment it touched down on the ship's deck but Alan refused to be led away immediately, instead, waiting for Billy. Medical personnel flocked around Billy, one holding a clear bag of fluid aloft, watching the line that snaked down and into Billy's arm. The white bandages seemed even more stained with blood, and Billy seemed paler, less alert. Alan trailed after them and no one hindered his progress probably because he and the Kirby's also needed to have wounds cleaned and bandaged, and he expected there would be a broad spectrum antibiotic shot in his near future too for some of their wounds had been open for days. Had it not been for the Spinosaurus then they might have searched for the medical kit from the plane but the debris was spread over a large area, and the Spinosaurus had continued to hunt them even after taking down a larger meal in the form of a T-Rex. A marine stopped Alan from following Billy through a final set of doors, and as the doors settled back into place, Alan swallowed hard. It was an operating theater. He let the marine lead him to wards another room and sank onto one of the beds in what had to be the infirmary, dragging off his battered hat and placing it beside him on the bed. The Kirby's were at the far end and he could hear Amanda Kirby clucking over Erik as the doctor assessed the boy's injuries.

"Doctor Grant?"

Alan looked up in surprise, blinking rapidly. He hadn't heard the man approach.

"Yes?"

The doctor pulled the privacy curtain around the bed and handed him some scrubs. "You need to get out of those dirty clothes, and then I'll check you over."

"Billy?"

The doctor gave a professional smile. "He lost a lot of blood, and some of those wounds go deep...but he's young and strong, and determined."

"How did you find him?"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Grant, but I'm unaware of the details of his rescue." He gestured back towards the small pile of clean clothing. "Sir, if you don't mind."

"Yes, of course."

Alan peeled off his shirt, wincing as cuts and abused muscles pulled at the motion. He looked down and was a little shocked at the multi-colored bruises adorning his torso. How long had he been going on pure adrenaline that he had not noticed these before now? He suspected most of the bruising had occurred during the plane crash and the flight from the Spinosaurus.

"Mr. Kirby mentioned a period of unconsciousness on-board the plane."

Alan gave a grimace, recalling the sharp pain to the back of his head and waking to find Billy's worried eyes fixed on him, relief shining in them when he sat up with a groan. How long had he been out? Certainly long enough for them to circle the island once more time and then land, and long enough for Mrs. Kirby to start attracting the biggest predator on the island to their position.

The doctor poked and prodded at the back of his head, and then at some of the bruises on his abdomen, drawing several hisses of pain.

"How does this feel?"

"Never better," he responded sarcastically, and almost smiled at the chuckle from the doctor.

"Yeah, I guess you're feeling a little sore all over."

The rest of the examination was just as painful and embarrassing, his hips, legs and even his ass sporting the same mottled bruising. By the time he finished, Alan no longer cared that he had a minder accompany him to the small shower room set next to the infirmary, and by the time he came back, clean and dry and dressed in the scrubs, Alan was dead on his feet. All the adrenaline had left him, and now he was payng the price of his body running on overload for so long. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow and never felt the gentle, professional hands that dressed the worst abrasions.

His dreams were filled with horror, seeing Billy leap from the railing, trusting his life to a possibly damaged parachute as he went after Erik. He saw the determination in the brown eyes, the need to assuage his guilt, to pay his penance to Alan by offering up his life to save another. Alan's dream was filled with images of violence, of pteranodons stabbing over and over at the vulnerable man in the churning, blood stained water as the river carried them all away.

"Billy!"

Firm but gentle hands were holding him but it took a moment or two before Alan could fully take in his surroundings. He relaxed back against the pillow and sighed until other memories returned full force. "Billy?"

"He's out of surgery and resting comfortably." The doctor indicated to Alan's right with his chin, and Alan felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked that way and saw Billy lying in the bed next to him. The IV was still present but the bandages looked pristine and Billy looked so young and at peace, his eyelashes forming sooty smudges against his still pale cheeks. "We'll be transferring you, Mr. Brennan and the Kirbys to the Naval Hospital shortly."

"Is that really necessary?"

The doctor smiled and patted Alan's arm good-naturedly but, otherwise, made no attempt to answer his question. Of course it was necessary or it wouldn't be happening, he thought. He took advantage of the doctor leaving to roll onto one side, facing Billy. Swaddled in bandages, he looked incredibly young, giving Alan a familiar twang of doubt mingled with guilt for the way he felt about the far younger man. He felt old enough to be Billy's father and yet when they worked together the age difference fell away leaving just two men who were in love with their chosen field.

Except, I'm also in love with him.

He fell asleep in that position and with that though whirling around in his mind, only waking when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently.

"Dr. Grant? How are you feeling?"

He looked up at the female nurse with a frown, blinking hard but the unable to focus., and confused because what he could see looked different somehow. His skin felt prickly and hot, and he brushed a shaky hand over his forehead. "I don't feel..."

"You still have a slight fever but the doctors say you're doing fine and should be back on your feet in no time."

Puzzled, Alan let it go for now, too tired to find the energy to truly care. Instead, he closed his eyes and drifted again. The next time he awoke, he heard a familiar voice talking softly close by, and smiled. Billy. He let the voice wash over him, basking in a sound he had, at one point, thought he might never hear again.

"Alan?"

Alan opened his eyes and saw a grin light up the handsome face. "Should you be up?" Alan asked and gained soft laughter in response, and that was another sound that Alan had missed.

Billy's expression sobered. "I was worried about you," he stated low and rough, and then he did something Alan had desired for so long but had never dreamed would happen; Billy leaned in and kissed him, soft lips pressed against his, the tiny dart of tongue wetting his dry lips. He pulled back and Alan was still stunned momentarily, licking his own lips to chase the taste of Billy, to confirm this was real and not some fevered dream. Billy looked uncomfortable. "I... I shouldn't have..."

"Oh no, you don't." Alan grabbed Billy's unbandaged arm and reeled him in carefully as he started to pull away. "You left me alone with the damn tourists once. You're not doing that again." He pulled Billy into another kiss, feeling Billy's smile against his lips as Alan deepened the kiss, tongue pressing against slowly parting lips, sinking into the hot mouth.

Old guilt tore at him when they parted, breathless. "I'm... Billy... I'm old enough to be your father."

Brown eyes crinkled up with laughter. "My father was 52 was I was born so, no, you're not old enough to be my father."

"I'm 53."

"Yeah? And my dad is now 79." He leaned in again, his smile taking the sting from his words. "So shut up and kiss me again."

Alan didn't need to be told twice, aware that this was one time when the apprentice truly was the master. He moaned as Billy deepened the kiss, turning it hard and dirty, putting every ounce of want into the kiss before pulling back, looking smug. Billy licked his lips and asked, "Good?"

Alan grinned back, heart hammering in his chest from pure love and pleasure. "Never better."

END


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